Spinning or toy top



J. N. CAYO.

SPINNING 0R TOY ToP. APPLICATION FILED JUNE Il, 1919.

Patented Dee.. 28, 1920.

JULIUS N. CAYO, 0F GABY, INDIANA.

SPNNING- OR TOY TOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. 28, 1921i.

Application filed .Tune 11, 1919. Serial No. 303,319.

To @ZZ whom t may consom Be it known that l, JiiLiUs N. Caro, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gary, in the county of Lahe and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful linprovenients in Spinning or rllfoy Tops, of which the following is a specification.

rhe invention relates to improvement in spinning or toy tops.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a spinning top that is simple of construction and in operation; inexpensive to manufacture; that is efficient, being'capable of spinning for a protracted period of time at a relatively high speed and in which the surrounding casing is automatically clutched to the inteiior rotating disk, or momentum wheel and the spindle, when the end of the spindle is placed upon the surface upon which the top is to spin so that the soundproducing instrumentality, carried by the shell or casing, is rotated at a high ve locity.

ln the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof Figure 1 is an elevation of the top as it appears when spinning.

Fig. 2 is a central, vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view.

Fig. 4 is a top plan View.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross section, taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 2.

ln all the views the saine reference characters are employed to indicate similar parts.

rthe spindle 10, upon the point 11 of which the top is intended to spin, extends through the shell 12 and at its upper end, a pin 13 passes through it and under the pin is a washer 14 which is located between the pin and the upper portion 15 of the shell, and serves as a stop for the shell. Secured about midway of the spindle 10 by a pin 16 is a momentum wheel 17. The lower end of the shell 12 is provided with a hub 18 having opposite cuteaway places or notches 19 to receive the pin 20, that passes through the lower end of the spindle 10, to provide a gravity operable clutch to connect the ineinbers when the top is supported by the spindle and to disconnect them when the top is sup ported by the shell.

The casing 12 has a limited axial movement on the spindle 10 so that when the top rests upon the end 11 of the spindle, the notch 19 of the casing will engage the pin 20, thereby clutching the casing to the spindle, whereupon the casing will rotate with the spindle and the wheel 17. When the top is held in the hand, for the purpose of rotating the wheel 17, the weight of the wheel will move the pin 2O out of engagement with the notch 19 in the hub 18 and thereby disconnect the wheel from the casing.

A'cord 21 is secured to the spindle 10 byV passing it through a hole 22 in the upper .end of the spindle, a knot 23 in the cord resting within a depression made to register with the hole. The string is to be wound about the spindle and the end of the string to be passed out through either of the openings 24 that are made in each side of the casing portion 15.

To prevent the string from passing down into the main portion of the casing 12, I provide a sleeve 26, terminating in a laterally extending flange 27 to support the string, this structure resting on the wheel and being preferably loose upon the spindle.

To wind the cord or Vstring 21 about the spindle, it is only necessary to seize the upper end 28 of the spindle between the thumb and index finger and rotate the spindle, with the wheel 17, until the string has been wound about the spindle, as shown in Fig. 2. Then, while the casing 12 is held in the hand, a vigorous pull is made upon the string and when it is about completely unwound, it is released, whereupon the string will be rewound upon the spindle, in the opposite direction by the rotation of the wheel 17. Now when the wheel 17 is rotating rapidly, the top is placed, with its end 11 on a relatively smooth surface, whereupon the casing 12 will, by the effect of gravity move down on the spindle until the notch 19 in the hub 18 makes engagement with the pin 20, at the lower end of the spindle, thus giving rapid rotation to the easing 12 and the sound pro ducingr instrumentalities, carried by the casing, shown by the two perforations 29, will utter a pleasing continuous sound or note.

lt is quite Y important that the casing should not be positively connected to the spindle 10 during the wheel-rotating operation, because in that event there would be no way to conveniently rotate the top. Any well known means of constructing the musicproducing feature 29 of the top is within the contemplation of my invention, whereby a rapid rotation of the top is utilized to produce the sound.

After the top has been spun, in the manner described, and the string released, the top automatically rewinds the string, whereupon the string rotates with the top, which is ready to be spun again, when theouter end of the string is again seized and given a vigorous pull, as before, whereby to rotate the wheel 17 within the casing, while the cas: ing is still held in one hand by the operator.

Having described my invention, what I claim is l. A spinning top having in combinative association a two part casing providing an upper and a lower member of cup shape formation composed of material of uniform thickness, said members being joined at their open ends, the upper member providing a truncated cone portion of smaller diameter than either cup member, to provide a receptacle for a winding string, said cone being perforated through a side wall for said string and furnishing a shaft-bearing above the string; a spindle of uniform diameter passing loosely through the casing; a momentum disk on the spindle supported entirely by the spindle and means to rotatably engage the spindle and casing when the top rests on the lower end oi' the spindle.

2. A spinning tophaving in combinative association, a casing; a centrally disposed spindle having a limited axial movement therein; a momentum wheel fixed to the spindle, within the casing; a cord to wind about the spindle and to pass out through a perforation in the casing; a disk, loose upon the spindle, to support the cord; a hubv at the lower end of the casing having a notch to engage a pin to clutch the members together and a pin, passing through the spindle, adapted to enter the notch, when the device is supported on the lower end of the spindle and to be withdrawn therefrom when the device is supported by the casing whereby the momentum wheel may be rotated by a quick pull upon the cord, independently of the casing, and the casing may be made to rotate with the spindle when the top is spinning.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribed my name. Y i JULIUS N. CAYO. 

